Delhi Tulu Siri to host convention on February 24

Delhi Tulu Siri, an event to showcase the proud Tulu culture in the national capital as well as to impress upon the people to provide due recognition to Tulu language in the Indian Constitution, is being organized here on February 24, 2013.

The curtain raiser of the event was held with Oscar Fernandes, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) hosting breakfast with Tulunad food to the Union Ministers and Members of Parliament from Karnataka here today.

Addressing the parliamentarians, Oscar Fernandes urged them to impress upon to provide due recognition to Tulu language in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.

The Tulu language and culture are unique; the traditions and celebrations are based on scientific thinking. The output of Tulu oral tradition is really stunning and the PaDdanas (folk narratives) found in Tulunadu - comprising the southern coastland of Karnataka and northern part of Kerala - could be ranked among the best folk epics of the world, he added.

Purushothama Bilimale, an eminent folk scholar, said Tulu belonging to the Dravidian family of languages is spoken by over 50 lakh people all over the world.

"Tulu has a history of more than 2000 years. Using the techniques of Lexicon-Statistics, scholars concluded that this language developed as an independent language since 8th Century BC. Highly stylized classical literature also developed in Tulu language," he said.

I. Ramamohan Rao, former Principal Information Officer and Media Advisor to the Prime Minister of India who is the Chairman of Executive Committee of Delhi Tulu Siri said: "Structured efforts have been made by social activists, linguists, litterateurs, educationists as well as political leaders both outside and inside the Parliament of India to include Tulu, one of the most vibrant and beautiful languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution."

"However, Tulu could not be gain benefit of being included in the Schedule. Inclusion of Tulu language in the Eighth Schedule is a long pending demand of Tulvas," he added.

An Executive Committee under the leadership of I. Ramamohan Rao has been formed to provide direction and guidance.

M. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Oscar Fernandes, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha, Mangalore Constituency), Jayaprakash Hegde, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha, Udupi Constituency), Sadananda Gowda, former Chief Minister of Karnataka were also present at the event and expressed their support by being in the forefront in organizing the event in a befitting manner.

Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy is also associated with the event. (ANI)